Humdrum
by Shivonne Halstead
Summary: Chapter 6 is finally up! Bits and pieces of Eyie's past come to light, and she stumbles on a scene where...
1. Gimme A Break!

King of Fighters is the property of SNK Playmore. I've borrowed the characters for the purpose of writing this story.

The Eyie Nishinho in this story isn't me. She's a character I created 2 years ago. Since she was the very first character that I've created, she became my favorite, and so I took her name as my alias.

**

* * *

Chapter 1 – Gimme A Break!**

"I'm leaving."

Three faces gaped back at him. "WHAT?"

"I mean it."

Whip spoke up. "But why?"

"Aren't you happy here?" Maxima asked.

K' shrugged. "…I want to live someplace else…on my own."

"But what about Kula? You two are a couple. You've gone out for some time now. Are you just going to leave without telling her?" Diana protested.

He smiled. "I think I'll let her answer that one."

"Where is she, anyway?" Maxima asked.

"I'm right here," Kula replied, stepping out from behind K''s back. "Don't worry about me, Diana. I'll be doing fine."

"You mean, you're just gonna let him leave like that?" Diana and Whip squawked.

"Oh, no. What I meant to say is…I'm going with him!"

Silence.

Then Maxima spoke. "You two…living in an apartment…alone…?"

"…Just the two of you…?" Diana faltered.

"… That's good, Kula."

"What're you thinking?" Maxima and Diana yelled at Whip.

"What? I think it's right that they want to live in a place by themselves! They need the privacy…to do their personal affairs." At this, K' and Kula blushed furiously. "You know what I mean, Maxima and Diana."

Now it was Maxima and Diana's turn to blush.

Finally, Diana relented. "Oh, alright!"

"Fine with me," Maxima muttered.

"Alright! Thanks, everyone!" Kula beamed, wrapping her arms around K''s right arm.

K' grunted. He glanced at Whip. As he did so, a look of gratitude crossed his eyes.

Whip noticed this, and she smiled at him. "No problem, bro."

_  
Moments later_

"How much is the apartment for two people?"

The clerk shuffled through a pile of papers. "…"

K' frowned. "Well?"

The clerk glanced up at him. "I'm very sorry sir, but the apartment's been taken. There is one more apartment, but – "

"But what?"

"It's for three people, and - "

"We'll take it!"

"…it's being occupied by a little girl."

"Huh?"

The clerk adjusted his glasses. "She is the original owner of the apartment. Her parents have long since been gone."

Kula felt sorry for her. "But doesn't she have any guardians?"

"No. She said she could manage by herself. But she does wish for some company."

K' pondered for a moment. "I don't know…"

"We'll take it!" Kula said.

"What? What do you think you're doing?" K' sputtered.

"C'mon, K', it's as good as gold. One little girl can't be a nuisance. And besides, don't you feel sorry for her?"

"I don't – "

Kula looked up at him with beseeching eyes. "Please?"

"Damn…" Sighing, he reached for his wallet. "Where do I sign here?"

_  
At the apartment itself_

"Oh…" Kula murmured, glancing around her. "This is so cool!"

"Neat," K' agreed.

Kula ran her fingers over a small marble statue. "She's pretty rich for a lonely little girl."

"Reminds me that we haven't seen her yet."

"Yeah. I'll call her. Hello!" she called. "Anybody here?"

Out of the corner of his eyes, K' noticed a flurry of movement from the library.

"Hellooo.." Kula called again.

"Please wait a sec!" a girl's voice answered.

K' and Kula looked at each other.

"That doesn't sound like a little girl," K' muttered suspiciously.

"You're right…" Kula said.

Just then, a voice spoke in front of them. "Ok, here I am!"

They turned their heads towards the speaker.

"You – you're Eyie Nishinho?"

"At your service!"

"Bu – but you're not a little girl!"

It was true. What they believed to be a 5-year-old was in fact a pretty teenaged girl with long jet-black hair and silvery-gray eyes. She raised an eyebrow at them.

"Excuse me? Of course not!"

"But the clerk at the lobby said…" Kula wavered.

"Oh, no! Mr. Sanders always looks at me as if I'm a five-year-old; treats me like one too! Don't tell me he asked _you_ guys to be my babysitters!"

"Actually, no.. But he _did _say that you wanted some company.."

"Well..yeah..I do wish for some company here. It gets pretty lonely up here all by myself."

"Then it's settled! How old are you really, anyway?" Kula said brightly.

"Fifteen. Why don't you guys put your stuff in these bedrooms? ..Of course, if you only want to use one bedroom, it can be arranged - "

"NO WAY!"

Eyie laughed. "Just kidding. Anyways, just call me if you need me, I'll be in the library." She walked towards a half-closed door.

As soon as the door closed behind her, K' slumped down onto a couch. "Gimme a break! We're gonna live with a 15-year-old girl? I was hoping she was only 5 years old, but this is too much!"

Kula sighed. "There's nothing we can do about it, K'. Just try to get along with her. After all," she added, smiling encouragingly at him, "she can't be all that bad."

He snorted. "_In a pig's eye!_"

_To be continued…_


	2. It Sounded Like She Was Having An ROB

**Chapter 2 – It Sounded Like She Was Having An R.O.B**

It was mid-morning when K' woke. He stretched his arms lazily and looked idly out the window. So far, he and Kula managed to get along with their housemate (apartment-mate? Whatever!) yesterday. He hoped today will be the same.

He heard the rustle of bed sheets in Kula's room as she stirred in her sleep. He smiled faintly as he remembered their first date. How, after they finished their dinner in a restaurant and checked into a hotel, they'd – His skin prickled at the thought. He tried to push it out of his mind.

Sighing, he closed his eyes again.

And quickly opened them as a blood-curdling shriek cut through the apartment.

"Kula!" he yelled, getting out of bed and pulling on a pair of jeans. "Kula!"

Kula stumbled into his doorway, fumbling with her robe. "Did you hear it too?"

He nodded.

Kula pursed her lips thoughtfully. "It sounded like Eyie."

Another cry of terror.

K' muttered something incomprehensive under his breath, and then he walked over to Kula. "Might as well check on her.. Let's go."

They strode through the hallway towards Eyie's room. As they got closer, they noticed that the shrieks and cries became angry growls and snarls. It _was_ Eyie. It sounded like she was having an R.O.B (Riot Of Blood), which happens sometimes to Iori and Leona.

K' and Kula looked at each other.

"What's going on with her?"

"Don't ask me."

Kula cleared her throat. "Uh.. Eyie?"

The growls and snarls stopped. "…Huh? Yeah?..."

"Are you okay in there?"

"Oh, I'm fine, just fine! Never felt bet – WHAT? AAAAGH! _DAMMIT!_"

K' raised his eyebrows at Kula. She shrugged.

Before she could stop him, K' turned the knob of door to Eyie's room and strode inside.

What they saw made them stare in disbelief.

Eyie, dressed in pajamas, was twitching and twisting around, holding a controller in her hands. She had a sort of psychotic look on her face. In front of her were a T.V. and a PS2. On the T.V. screen was a giant centipede.

She was playing "Resident Evil Zero"!

Kula started to say something, but Eyie, her eyes still glued to the screen, said, "Later. Just one more scenario…"

"Uh – okay, we're going out now.."

Eyie just nodded her head.

K' and Kula went out to the hallway and shut the door gently behind them.

The moment the door was closed, K' snorted, then started to snicker.

Kula looked questioningly at him. "What?"

"That look on her face… It reminds me of K9999 when I beat him at the 2001 KOF tournament.."

She grinned. "The same crazy, goofy glare?"

"Yeah."

"So I noticed." Laughing, they went into the kitchen.

_To be continued…_

* * *

Ehehehe.. This idea just hit me today, and I decided to write it down. If ever there is a game that can make me fly into a rage, it's Resident Evil Zero. That game is hard! 


	3. Aw, She's Adorable!

**Chapter 3 – Aw… She's Adorable!**

Four hours later Eyie trudged into the kitchen.

Kula smiled at her. "Good morning, Eyie." She was cooking waffles.

"G'morning," Eyie mumbled as she plopped herself down on a chair.

K' smirked at her while munching on a piece of waffle. "Has the great zombie hunter eaten her breakfast?"

Eyie laughed sleepily. "Oh… Not yet. You see, I've already gotten to the point where the centipede boss attacks me, and I was concentrating on killing it so much that I didn't even make myself a sandwich. I sometimes get too attached to my games. Sorry for the racket I made earlier."

Kula laughed as she served Eyie some waffles. "You had us a little worried then. We thought you were hurt or something."

"I get myself worked up about my games. I'm really sorry, guys." Eyie dug into her waffles.

"Did you know you make a great impression of Iori Yagami when he's having a Riot Of Blood?" K' grinned.

Eyie flushed. "Thanks a lot!"

"Stop it you two," Kula said, placing a glass of juice before Eyie. "We're having some visitors today."

Eyie took the glass of juice and sipped from it. "Who?"

"Two of our friends, Maxima and Diana. Whip couldn't make it; she's visiting the Ikari guys today."

"Maxima…" Eyie said thoughtfully. "Hey, I saw him in the WWE! He's pretty good. Is he a professional wrestler now?"

K' and Kula laughed. "No, he didn't make it," Kula said. "Diana made him back out after he got his ass kicked by Goldberg," K' added.

Eyie nodded slowly. "Oh. If he just stayed close to his opponent and used his Maxima Revenger, he'd have made it to the top."

"Well, he didn't, and he got whipped."

Eyie took a bite of her waffle. "I see."

Kula served herself some waffles and glass of juice and then sat down beside K'. "So, Eyie," she said, taking a bite of _her_ waffle, "How long have you been living here?"

"For a month. But it seemed like a year, being alone and all. Time seems to grow longer when you don't have anyone to talk to, even if the clerk's at the lobby."

"But don't you like being alone? Nobody could bug you about anything," K' asked.

"At first I enjoyed it. No one would be on my case. I could do anything I want. But then I realized that I'd have no one to share my experiences with. If I'd just made a fantastic discovery, or I'm just feeling good, there was nobody I could tell it to. Being alone really sucks. And what's worse," she went on, playing with the remains of her waffle, "whenever something scares me, or I feel so sad that I cry, there was nobody there to comfort me and tell me everything's okay." She sighed. "You two are lucky. You have each other. I envy you guys. You remind me of… Oh, never mind."

"Of what?" K' asked.

"Nothing," she murmured sadly.

"Aw, come on – " K' stopped as Kula placed her hand on his shoulder. "K'. Don't ask her anymore questions."

K' glanced at Eyie. She was staring unhappily at her plate. He nodded at Kula. "Alright."

_  
11:30 A.M._

"When are they going to be here?" K' asked Kula impatiently as he switched channels on the T.V.

Kula was reading a book. "Oh, any minute now," she said, turning a page.

Eyie was in the kitchen, working on some sheet music (she plays a lot of instruments). She asked to be alone so she could concentrate on her work.

Kula glanced at the kitchen. "I really feel sorry for her," she said softly.

"Don't worry," K' said, putting an arm across her shoulders, "We'll take care of her now."

Kula glanced up at him. "I thought you didn't like the idea of being her guardian."

"I changed my mind. What she said earlier… I understood how she felt. We'll be there for her."

Kula smiled as she rested her head on his chest. "Yes. She won't be alone anymore."

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Sighing, K' got up to answer it.

When he opened it, Diana and Maxima stepped inside.

"What's up, man?" Maxima exclaimed, clapping K' on the back. "You two done anything hot lately?"

"Shut your mouth before I set fire to it!" K' grumbled, gasping a little from Maxima's hearty pounding on his back.

"Kula, dear, how are you two doing?" Diana asked, giving Kula a hug.

"We're doing just fine, Diana. But we're not the only ones living here," Kula replied.

Maxima faked a groan. "Oh no, K'! How are you and Kula gonna have fun now?"

"DAMN YOU, MAXIMA!" K' yelled.

"What's going on in here?"

All of them turned to look at who spoke. It was Eyie, holding a can of soda.

"Who.. Who are you?" Diana asked.

"She's our companion here. Her name's Eyie," Kula answered for her. Eyie nodded.

Maxima looked at her closely. "You live with K' and Kula here?"

She nodded again. "Uh-huh." She raised the can of soda to her lips.

Maxima and Diana exclaimed, "Aw… She's adorable!"

Eyie spat out a mouthful of soda. "Wha – WHAT?"

Diana took out a handkerchief and gently wiped Eyie's mouth. "Now, now, dear… Must be careful when drinking sodas."

Eyie was so stunned she didn't move. "Bu – but.."

Maxima knelt before her and took a piece of toffee from his pocket. "Here sweetie, have some candy."

Eyie accepted it. "Thank you, but why – "

"You're just the sweetest thing! Isn't she, Maxima?" Diana crooned, patting Eyie's head.

"Yeah, she sure is!" Maxima agreed, gently pinching Eyie's cheeks.

K' and Kula just stood there watching them.

Kula murmured, "Lucky Eyie… I want some candy, too.."

K' had his eyebrows raised as high as they could go. "Look at how they're making over her! It's like she's a baby or something!"

Kula scratched her head. "They'd make perfect guardians for Eyie."

He grinned. "Babysitters is more like it."

They looked at each other and started to snicker.

_To be continued…_

* * *

This is pretty funny, don't you think? I mean, Maxima's been taking care of K' for some time, and Diana treats Kula like a little girl (just look at one of Kula's win poses!) and when K' and Kula move away, they miss being "parents" so much that they go overboard over poor Eyie! Reminds me of how I was treated when I was about ten years old… LOL 


	4. It's Unfair!

**Chapter 4 – It's Unfair!**

A month has passed since that "welcoming" treatment Eyie got from Maxima and Diana. But K' and Kula, especially K', haven't forgotten it and had teased her about it ever since, much to her dismay. Now they call her "Eyie-chan", which she grudgingly accepts. But she gets back at them by sometimes calling them "Mom" and "Dad" or even "Ye sweet lovahs". But mostly she just calls them "Kula-san" and "K'-san".

_At the apartment_

K' and Kula were watching T.V. in the den one sunny autumn day. K' had his arm around Kula's shoulders and she was resting her head on his chest. Despite this sweet position, they looked bored. In fact, they _were_ bored. K' was switching channels without even bothering to stop and look closely. Kula was trying to stay awake.

Finally, K' switched off the T.V. and groaned. "I'm getting tired of this!"

Kula yawned. "This is too boring for words!"

K' glanced down at her, and then had an idea. "You know… It's been a while since we've done it," he mused.

She looked up at him. "Are you telling me that..." Her voice trailed off. "But what if Eyie catches us doing it?"

He grinned slyly at her. "Don't worry. I'll make sure she won't."

She chuckled. "You sneaky man!" She entwined her fingers through his. K' brought his face close to hers.

Their lips were almost touching…

Just then, Eyie stuck her head out from the library. "I'm bored! Let's do something!"

They quickly broke away from each other. Kula sat up, casually straightening her clothes. "Oh! Er.. What do you want to do then?"

"Grr.." K' growled in a low voice. Kula shot him a look which said, "Shut up."

But Eyie saw her. "Oops. I've interrupted something between you two. In that case," she said, starting to draw her head back inside the library, "I'll just go to the park on my own and let you have some time with each other."

"No, wait! Going to the park sounds great. Besides, K' and I _were _wishing for something else to do… Right?" she asked him, secretly stepping on his foot.

"Yeah… Right." K' tried to turn the grimace on his face into a smile.

Eyie beamed. "Alright! I'll get my coat!" She headed to her room.

"Why'd you have to go and do that for?" K' grumbled to Kula. "You could've just called Maxima and Diana and asked them to take their 'sweet, little Eyie-chan' to the park themselves!"

"Oh, K', we can do it ourselves! We're the ones who were entrusted as her guardians! And besides," she said, looking at him straight in the eye, "we can't take any chances. Eyie has a knack for showing up at just the right time when we're about to do something. Remember the time when she walked into the room just as I was unbuttoning your shirt? We'll have to wait for another opportunity."

K' frowned. "Fine! I guess I can wait."

_Later that day_

K' and Kula were sitting on a bench in the park, watching Eyie use the swings in the children's playground.

"You know… It _was _a good idea to come here, K'," Kula said, breathing in the cool autumn air. "It's so nice and peaceful here."

"Yeah, whatever."

Just then, Eyie got off the swing and started walking towards them.

"Now what does she want?" K' muttered.

Eyie stopped in front of them. "Um… K'-san, Kula-san…?"

"What is it, Eyie-chan?"

Eyie sighed crossly when she heard that. "Well, I was wondering if…" she paused for a moment, digging the toe of her shoe into the grass.

"For Pete's sake, go on, Eyie," K' said impatiently.

"Would-you-please-teach-me-your-fighting-techniques?" The words came out in a rush.

"Why would you wanna do that?" K' and Kula exclaimed.

Eyie blushed. "Well… I just wanna try them out, see if I can use them when I'm in danger. You see, I want to go out by myself now, and I can see that I'm beginning to be a burden for you two. You want to have some time for each other, right? So teach me. Please?" She looked meaningfully at them.

K' grinned at her. "Okay." _This is good!_ he thought. _Me and Kula can finally have some time together…_

Eyie grinned back. "Great!"

Kula said, "You teach her first, K'."

He nodded. He stood up, drawing himself up to his full height of six feet. He sneered down at Eyie.

Eyie had to tilt her head back to see his face. "Oh… You sure are tall, K'-sensei!"

He said nothing. Instead, he executed a sudden Narrow Spike.

He expected to hit her square in the face. But he only kicked the air!

"Here I am, K'-sensei!"

He quickly turned around to find her standing behind him with a smile on her face.

Kula laughed. "She's fast!"

K' chuckled. "I see that your dodging is first-class. Now, don't dodge this one, kid!" And with that, he launched his shades at Eyie.

"K'! Don't - !" Kula yelled.

Too late. Eyie let the shades bounce off her forehead.

K' rushed at her, his hand flaming. "Here I come!"

In that split second, before his fist came into contact with Eyie, he saw her smile, then wink, at him. He aimed a blazing right hook at her. To his surprise, she deflected it _with her bare hand_…_and every single hit he directed at her_!

He finished his Chain Drive with a One Inch. She managed to block it using both of her arms, but she got thrown back just the same.

K' and Kula stared at her. "You – you're _good_!"

Eyie put down her arms (they weren't even scratched, or bruised, or burned!), and grinned sheepishly at them. "I'm a fighter myself."

"You don't say!" They rushed over to her. "You don't have to take any lessons from us, then!"

"No!" she cried. "I want to learn your techniques! You see, I'm a big fan of yours, and I've always wanted to be like you guys! Oh, please, teach me! PLEASE!"

They glanced at each other, then turned back to her. "Oh, alright!"

A group of male voices spoke at that point. "Hey, you two!"

K' and Kula turned to look at the speakers. They were Kyo Kusanagi, Benimaru Nikaido, and Shingo Yabuki.

"What are you guys doing with that little girl?" Kyo asked when they reached K' and Kula.

Eyie's temper flared up. "WHO'RE YOU CALLING LITTLE?"

"Whoa, there, missy!" Benimaru laughed. "Cool it!"

Shingo knelt down beside Eyie. "You okay?"

She glanced at him. "Well – Yeah."

"Come on, I'll help you up." He took her hand and pulled her up.

"Thanks, Shingo-sama!" she said to him.

Shingo scratched the back of his head self-consciously. "Uh – You're welcome."

"So what are you guys doing here?" Benimaru asked K'.

"Eyie's been asking us to teach her some fighting techniques, so we took her here to train her," K' said, thoughtfully forgetting to say that she was a fighter already.

"Oh, I get it…" Kyo said, grinning at Eyie, "You've gotten a Shingo of your own!"

He and Benimaru got a laugh out of that.

Shingo glared at them. "I resent that!"

"Come on, Eyie, show us what you've learned!" Kyo urged her.

Eyie closed one eye. "Okay. I'll show you my version of their Crow Bite."

And without warning, she rushed at Kyo and made an attack that was a cross between K' and Kula's Crow Bites and Kyo and Iori's Oniyaki. Kyo flew through the air and crashed into a tree.

Everyone except Kyo and Eyie gasped. For Kyo's whole body was engulfed in flames. Pale, bluish-green flames.

Kyo scrambled to his feet and frantically began to put the flames out. When he was done, he exclaimed, "Yowch! Those flames hurt a lot!"

"Are you okay, Kusanagi-san?" Shingo asked, rushing over to him. Kyo nodded. "Those flames felt…weird."

"What do you mean, weird?" Benimaru asked.

"They felt like they were freezing me and burning me…at the same time!" Kyo blurted out.

Everybody looked at Eyie. She shrugged, made a small pale, bluish-green flame come out of her finger, and then blew it out. "Got ya."

"You're a fire-wielder!"

"Fire, ice, and wind wielder, to be exact."

"Unreal!"

"NOOOOO! Even a fifteen-year-old girl can have flames? NOO! It's unfair!" Shingo wailed.

K' laughed and put an arm around Eyie's shoulders. "That should be enough for today. It's about time we got home… Let's go!"

Kula waved to Kyo, Benimaru, and Shingo. "'Bye, you guys!"

"'Bye, Shingo-sama!" Eyie yelled at Shingo.

Kyo and Benimaru waved back, and Shingo managed to smile a weak smile at Eyie. As soon as they were gone, though, he started bawling. "IT'S UNFAIR! WHY CAN'T I HAVE FLAMES, TOO? _IT'S TOO DAMN UNFAIR!_"

Benimaru and a rather burnt Kyo just roared with laughter.

_To be continued…_


	5. An Interrogation Scene

**Chapter 5 – An Interrogation Scene**

K', Kula, and Eyie were inside the kitchen. Eyie was seated on a stool and had her hands folded on her lap. K' and Kula were sitting on opposite chairs on each side of her. It was like an interrogation scene from a police movie.

K' and Kula stared hard at Eyie. She stared down at the floor.

Finally, K' spoke. "Now, Eyie. How on earth did you manage to have flames, as well as ice and wind powers, all at the same time?"

"And why didn't you tell us in the first place?" Kula asked her.

Eyie sighed. "I'll answer K''s question first. _I don't have any idea_.

"My parents told me that when I was born, I was a perfectly normal baby. Until I was five, I lived like any little kid.

"Then, one day, my cousin got to teasing me. I got mad and before I knew it, I punched him so hard, he fell down. Then I felt my hand tingling. I looked down and it was covered with these pale, blue-green flames. Well, I started screaming then, and my cousin was screaming too, in pain and fright. We made such a racket that my parents and my cousin's parents came running. They took one look at us and started yelling. I got so scared I started to cry. My uncle and aunt tried to put out the flames that were spreading across my cousin's clothes, but it took them a full hour before they could.

"By then, all of us had calmed down. My hand was no longer on fire. My mom and dad looked at it but they couldn't find a burn, not even a wound. As for my cousin, he got a small burn on his cheek and parts of his clothes got burned off. He said that he felt like his whole body was being frozen and burned at the same time. Luckily, my aunt and uncle were understanding. They knew I didn't mean to hurt their son so badly."

She paused, and then asked in a small voice, "Can I have some water?"

Kula got up and poured some water into a glass. She handed it to Eyie. "Go on."

Eyie gulped down some water, and then continued her story.

"After that incident, my parents decided to help me control my powers. They trained me how to use the flames and ice, and they also taught me how to fight. You see, my father was a freestyler of the martial arts, and my mother was the daughter of a German karate master. I was also taught how to use a samurai sword, just to continue an old family tradition.

"Then I discovered that I could manipulate the wind. It was fun to use it for playing tricks. Nobody knew my secret, though. My parents told me never to tell anyone. But my close friend Ren Akujiki knew. Other than him, only my family and I know my secret." She sighed. "And now you two, as well."

"Okay…" K' stretched the word out.

"And the reason I didn't tell you guys when you first arrived because…well…I didn't want to. I didn't feel like showing off."

Kula cocked her head to the side. "Okay. But, one last question. How come you wound up living by yourself here?"

Eyie hemmed and hawed. "I just am, is all."

K' grunted. "Fine. We'll leave it at that." He got up from his chair and ran his fingers through his hair. "Guess teaching you won't be so dull anymore."

Kula smiled. "You're right. Things are going to get interesting, no doubt about it."

Eyie looked up at them. "You're still going to teach me?"

K' nodded. "Of course. Who knows? Maybe you can join us in the next tournament."

Eyie beamed. "Really!" But then she sobered. "I – I don't think I should…"

"But why?" Kula asked her.

Eyie looked out the window. "I… I need to go to my room to think," she said softly. She got up and left the kitchen.

K' and Kula looked after her.

"I don't think I should've asked her that one," Kula murmured.

K' just shrugged.

_Meanwhile, in Eyie's room…_

Eyie's hands shook as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. "I can't. I just can't tell them why I wound up here," she whispered worriedly.

A fleeting image of the red fluid on her hands crossed her mind. Her eyes widened as she shook with fear and guilt for what she had done in the past.

"Oh God…" Eyie groaned as she buried her face in her hands and her body started to shake.

_To be continued…_


	6. Out For The Count

**Chapter 6 – Out For the Count**

The next morning Eyie wasn't her usual sunny self. She spent half the day moping around the apartment, except she called it "spacing out".

Kula had dragged K' with her into the den after they had watched Eyie listlessly eat her lunch.

"I'm just so worried about her," Kula murmured, glancing anxiously at the direction of the kitchen.

K' frowned. "I guess we shouldn't have asked too much questions yesterday."

"I agree," Kula replied, wringing her hands together.

K' began pacing back and forth on the rug. "We have to think of something to cheer her up."

Just then, the phone rang.

Kula answered it. "Hello?"

"Uh… Is – is Eyie there?" a boy's voice asked hesitantly.

"Yes, she is. But why…?" Kula raised her eyebrows at K'. He shrugged.

"I need to talk to her," the boy said. "Please, ma'm, it's urgent…"

"Okay. Hold on for a sec," Kula said, covering the receiver with her hand. "Can you call Eyie? It's for her," she told K'.

K' went into the kitchen. Eyie was sitting at the kitchen table, staring out the window.

K' was reminded of what he used to be by watching Eyie. Sad, lonely, confused. But he had a hunch that Eyie was hiding something. What was she hiding?

"Eyie?" he called her softly.

Eyie snapped out of her stupor. "Huh?..."

"There's a phone call for you."

Eyie felt her dim spirits glow like a fanned ember. _Could it be…? No. It can't be. It must be some other person._

She let out an exasperated sigh as she trudged into the den. "Now who could this be…" she muttered as she took the receiver from Kula. "Thanks, Kula-san."

"Hello?" she spoke into the receiver.

"Eyie? It's me."

_Omigosh! It IS him! I can't believe it… He still cares for me! _

To K' and Kula's surprise and relief, a joyful smile brightened Eyie's sober face.

"Re – Ren!" she squeaked.

Kula caught the name and remembered the friend Eyie was talking about. Could this be Ren Akujiki? If he was, Kula wanted to give him a hug. He was just what Eyie needed to cheer up!

Meanwhile, Eyie was gripping the receiver happily. "The park? Oh, sure! Just let me get dressed," she trilled. "'Bye, Ren."

She set the receiver down and turned to K' and Kula with shining eyes. "K'-san, Kula-san, I have to meet somebody, we're meeting at the park, and don't worry, he's a good friend of mine, so can I can I CAN I?"

"Whoa, slow down!" K' exclaimed, holding up his hands.

"Okay, go ahead, Eyie," Kula laughed, patting Eyie on the shoulder. "Have a good time with your…'friend'…" She winked at Eyie.

Eyie threw her arms around Kula. "I LOVE YOU! I'll be back as soon as I can!" She quickly turned around to race to her room, but she wasn't quick enough to hide the faint blush on her face.

_Aha!_ Kula thought slyly. _I knew it. He's more than just her friend…_

_Why's she blushing?_ K' thought, puzzled.

Kula shook her head amusedly as Eyie slammed her bedroom door. "That Eyie! She can be so hyper at times."

"Tell me about it." K' rolled his eyes. "Which reminds me… Now that she'll be out for a while, why don't we take this chance?" He put his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek.

Kula smiled as she leaned against him. "She wouldn't be able to interrupt this time. But," she disentangled herself from his arms, "wait until she's on her way to meet her Ren."

"All right."

Eyie appeared at the doorway, dressed warmly in her favorite outfit: long, black coat; red, black, and white striped turtleneck blouse; red flared jeans; and red Chucks. She grinned at them. "I'll be a little late in coming back. 'Bye!" She streaked out the apartment door.

As soon as he could hear Eyie's footsteps fading away, K' glanced at Kula. "Now then."

Kula let out a small giggle as she pulled him into the bedroom.

_Now let's go to where Eyie is…_

Eyie looked around expectantly around the park. He had to be there by now.

Then she saw him, sitting on a bench overlooking the duck pond.

"Ren," she smiled.

Ren turned around to face her. His hazel eyes smiled into hers as he patted the place beside him. "Hi. Come on and rest yourself."

She sat down beside him and they watched the ducks swim around the pond. For a moment neither of them spoke. Then,

"Ren?"

"Yeah?"

"How are the others doing?"

"They're all great and doing well. Suzumi says she plans to visit you when she has the chance." Suzumi was Eyie's twin sister.

"I'm glad to hear that."

Silence.

After a moment of awkward stillness, Eyie summoned up her courage to ask the question she had feared the most.

"Is… Is he okay?"

Ren looked worriedly at her. _She still can't get over it, _he thought. He nodded and put an arm around her shoulders. "He's patching up pretty good."

Eyie sighed.

"Uh… How're you doing?" he changed the subject.

"Oh… I'm fine, just fine. I'm living with K' and Kula right now, and they're great…"

"K-Dash and Kula Diamond? The 'Beast of Prey' and the 'Pussycat?' Cool!"

"Uh-huh. They're already teaching me some of their moves."

"Are the rumors true? Are they really a couple?"

Eyie smiled. "Yes. I catch them doing some spark in the den, but I throw myself off the hook by acting like a little, naïve girl. Actually, I think they might – " She shook her head violently. "Ew! I'd freak out if I catch them doing 'it'!"

He gulped. "So would I! I think you'd better show them what you really feel about their doing 'it'."

She nodded sheepishly. "All right. I'll ditch the 'little girl' act. And I'm going to make sure I'm doing something or I'm out somewhere if they decide to do 'it'." She smiled at Ren gratefully. "I appreciate what you're trying to do."

He gave her a small smile. "I had to. I want to see you happy."

She shook her head. "It's difficult, Ren."

"Look, I know that it's hard to forget, but it wasn't really your fault; he was the one who started it – "

She shook her head again fiercely. "Bu – but I should have stopped myself! I shouldn't have let my temper get carried away!" She shut her eyes miserably as a red, angry flush flooded upon her face.

Ren grabbed her by the shoulders. "Calm down, it was an accident! Nobody's blaming you."

To Ren's dismay, tears started running down Eyie's face. "I – I just can't get it out of my mind! Every night, I dream about it over and over again… Oh, Ren, it's horrible!"

She could still see it as vividly as if it had only happened yesterday.

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"_

"_Eyie, stop! EYIE!"_

_Eyie stopped when she heard Ren yell. Her blood-red eyes lost their murderous gleam as they faded back to their normal silvery-gray color. She felt confused. What had happened…?_

_Then she saw the stains on her hands. Dark, red bloodstains. And then she saw the young man sprawled out in front of her. He was savagely wounded and burned, but he was alive. He was staring fearfully at her with wide, agonized eyes. "Stop… Please, no more… I can't fight back… Ugh…" he was whimpering._

_As she realized the awful thing she had done, she sank to her knees and began to sob hysterically. "What's happening to me?"_

"Eyie… Eyie… Please don't cry…"

She found herself in Ren's arms, her face buried in his jacket. She took a deep, shaky breath.

"That's the way. Calm down…" Ren took out a handkerchief and started to wipe away her tears.

"Oh… Okay…" she sniffled weakly as she took it from him and carefully wiped her eyes.

They sat there for a long time, just holding each other. Then Ren spoke.

"Eyie?"

"Hm…?"

"I – I've been wanting to ask you this, but I just never got around to asking it."

"Wha – what is it?"

"Can you move back to our town?"

She glanced up at him sharply. "But Ren, I can't! I – I'm too scared to go back…"

"Everybody's okay with it now. Even him. He said that it was his fault you…lost control."

"I can't… Not now. I still feel guilty for what I'd done…"

"But everybody misses you! _I _ miss you!"

He stopped and they looked at each other.

"Thanks…" Eyie smiled wanly at Ren.

He looked at her sadly. "You still won't come back?"

She shook her head. "You know that I still can't get over it. I want to get over this and make sure that everybody's forgotten about it by the time I return. Please try to understand."

He sighed resignedly. "If you say so."

She closed her eyes as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "You know… I really miss being with you," she murmured softly.

He rested his cheek on top of her head. "Me too… More than you'll ever know."

Her eyes still closed, she murmured, "Please wait for me…"

"I will." He shut his eyes, then opened them again. "Come on. I'll walk you home so you can rest."

"Okay."

_Later, at the apartment building…_

"Well… I'll see you next time. Please take care of yourself. I don't want anything to happen to you," Ren said, taking Eyie's hand.

"I will. Take care of yourself, too." She squeezed his hand.

"See ya." He let go and started away.

"Wait – Your handkerchief – "

He turned to face her. "Keep it," he called. "That way, when you look at it, you'll always remember me." He grinned mischievously at her. "Corny, huh?"

She let out a laugh. "Absolutely clichéd!"

"Always be happy! So long!" He turned around and sauntered away.

Eyie smiled fondly at Ren's retreating back. "So long, you old jolly-maker…" she whispered.

After Ren had disappeared into the busy street, Eyie climbed the apartment stairs. She reached the floor of her apartment lodging, and, panting a little from the effort, opened the door.

She looked around. "Where are those two? I hope they went off someplace…"

Since her eyes were still a bit puffy from crying, she couldn't see clearly which door was the door to her room.

Without knowing it, she opened a certain bedroom door, and walked inside…

_And now we go to K' and Kula…_

K' sighed as he rested his head on the pillow. "It's been a while."

Kula hummed a little tune as she snuggled against K''s torso. "Uh-huh."

"Wonder what Eyie's doing right now?"

"Well…"

Just then, the bedroom door swung open and yours truly wandered in.

K' and Kula sat up abruptly with their arms around each other. "EYIE! You – you're back!"

Eyie squinted at them. She couldn't see well because her of her slightly swollen eyes, so she thought that K' and Kula were only hugging each other. "Oh, sorry to interrupt your hug-fest…" Then her vision cleared, and she saw what they had been _really_ doing. Her eyes grew as wide as dinner plates. "…Wha – what…" she stuttered.

The three of them stared at each other for ten seconds. Then Eyie started to giggle nervously.

"Ha…ha…ha… Oh, wow, I'm so, so sorry…" She had a silly expression on her face as she babbled in a weak voice. Her eyes rolled skyward.

The next thing that K' and Kula knew, Eyie Nishinho was stretched full-length on the rug in a dead faint; out for the count.

_To be continued…_

Sorry to all those who've reviewed my fic… It took me a long time to remember what was written on the page that I lost (I wrote the draft for Chapter 6 down so I'll have a head start)…

I don't think I like how this turned out… --;


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